Tag Archives: nature

May 20th is World Bee Day

Posted on May 20, 2024 by Dallas Garden Buzz

May 20, 2024

The UN officially recognizes May 20th as World Bee Day. In their opening statement, we are reminded that “Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity.”

Here are some of their suggestions for ways that we can do more to help make pollinators a priority:

*planting a diverse set of native plants, which flower at different times of the year

*buying raw honey from local farmers

*buying products from sustainable agricultural practices

*avoiding pesticides, fungicides or herbicides in our gardens

*protecting wild bee colonies when possible

*sponsoring a hive

*making a bee water fountain by leaving a water bowl outside

In celebration of our local honeybees, please enjoy these recently captured photos of the bees busy at work gathering nectar and pollen for the hive!

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

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Honeybees, Pollen and Pink Poppies 

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Dallas Garden Buzz

April 15, 2024

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(Honeybees gathering pollen from our poppies)

If you’ve been to Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills anytime during the past two weeks, a seasonal spectacle may have caught your eye. Everywhere you look, from the Edible Landscape/Courtyard area extending out to the north garden, pathways are filled with the sight of spring blooming pink poppies. 

Move in a little closer and listen carefully for a soft humming sound. As you might have guessed, honeybees are busy at work foraging for pollen from the abundance of poppies that share these garden spaces with our herbs, vegetables and wildflowers. 

Are you wondering…why are honeybees so attracted to poppies? As the late Robbin Thorp, native pollinator specialist for UC Davis in California so succinctly stated…” they’re not there for the nectar – they’re there for the pollen”. 

Poppies should be considered as a quintessential plant for pollen production. And honeybees are one of the chief pollinating agents. A deeper dive into the world of poppies gives us some interesting information regarding pollen. 

It is true that honeybees are attracted to poppies for pollen only. The reason why is that the inflorescences of all poppy species lack nectaries, thus no sugary nectar available to pollinators. Flowers, however, are packed with pollen-bearing anthers. Because pollen is the honeybee’s main source of protein, collecting it is a necessary task. Once collected, it is used for brood development and to feed the young larvae. And, fortunately for the bees, scientists have found that poppy pollen is remarkable clean, containing few fungi or mycotoxins.

Come visit our garden and take time to stroll the garden paths filled with poppies. Expect to be mesmerized by an eye-catching explosion of frills. Early morning and late afternoon seem to be the optimum time to experience the honeybees in action. Don’t be surprised to see as many as four or five honeybees foraging frenetically within a single flower.

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(Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills…Our “field of poppies!)

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

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FOREVER YOUNG,WITH HELP FROM THE GARDEN

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Dallas Garden Buzz

February 13, 2024

This is the time of the year when everyone wants something to change and improve advertisements that didn’t attract a bit of concern a while ago now seem tempting–the newest skin treatments that absolutely promise “younger brighter fresher”  The poor child in the picture seems still a bit concerned but yet now doing better–well she should be concerned of course she is probably past Fourteen and knows its all downhill from here.  Now if you want to buy thats fine after all it won’t hurt–although the price might be a real surprise  and the bottle is so small and then there are two more things you absolutely must have if you really want “results”  But we will go no further with this.

Baby Larkspur with maybe a weed-don’t worry about the weed.
Baby poppy-same warning!
Winter Honeysuckle does not give up.

No because YOUNG honestly is a state of mind more than anything and at this time of the year–well we may have to work at realizing that–and most importantly acting on our knowledge.  

WE can’t let the season get us down.  Its absolutely true that the leaves lying about have totally lost their  charm –and how on earth did there get to be so many sticks and stalks everywhere.  We have to look at things closely–after we clean up a bit of course.  But take your time don’t be hasty, baby plants can be deceiving.  The last thing you want to do is accidentally “weed”  your precious spring  flowers when in doubt don’t pull it up.  Better to leave and weed than loose a poppy!  Let your imagination take you to the blooms that will be here soon  and you will be surprised at how much happier you will feel.  Anticipating good things to come–well that is a receipt for real joy.

This is nothing but pure potential and hope!

Try to see bare patches as “Potential” not “Problems”.  All  the fresh seeds are here–stop and look .  For some people this can be as much temptation as the five hundred dollar skin serum so do be careful.  READ the labels and remember that if it says avoid heat you must avoid buying no matter how chilly and misty the day is right now.  But maybe choose something new to try and  go home and plant it–nothing worse than buying seeds and forgetting them–that doesn’t lead to happiness.  But the choosing and preparing and planting–that can make a big difference for anyone.  Feelings of accomplishment and planning for the future and feeling hopeful–well that makes anyone feel younger and fresher  and its a feeling that lasts!  Just the work in the fresh air helps so much  even if you have to wrap up and use plastic shoes.

If it gets really cold take the time to protect your plants you will be glad you did–its work but it pays off and that makes us feel powerful. Just a little cover saved this lettuce.

If there are plants in the house don’t just pass them by they aren’t sofa cushions they really will respond to attention.  water them and clean their leaves look for changes and growth–if you are fortunate even flowers–its the natural time for orchids to send up flower spikes–look carefully.  Just noticing will brighten the whole day and who knows what tomorrow might bring .That is the key.

When we think about it–isn’t YOUNG really anticipating the future–the good exciting things to come?  That feeling may get a little harder to come by sometimes but if we really notice our plants and gardens and care for them that feeling just seems to catch us and carry us forward–and that is FOREVER YOUNG.

Susan Thornbury, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

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Imagine A World…

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Dallas Garden Buzz

“Imagine a world, in which all children grow up with a deep understanding of the  life all around them.  Where obesity is reduced through nature play. Where anti-depressants and pharmaceuticals are prescribed less and nature prescribed  more.  Where every school has a  natural play space. Where children learn of the joy of being in nature, before they experience its loss. Where they can lie on the grass on a hillside for hours and watch clouds become the faces of the future. Where every child and every adult has a human right to the connection to the natural world and  shares the responsbility for caring for it.”

Richard Low, author of Last Child in the Woods.

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Compost

Posted on December 13, 2012 by Dallas Garden Buzz

Cindy With Mulching MowerCompost is recycled organic material.  Grass clippings, leaves and plant refuse, things  that used to be thrown into the landfill, are converted with the help of microbes, molds and insects into food for our garden.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE COMPOST?

(4 components + tools)

 NITROGEN – GREEN – Grass clippings, Fruit & Vegetable Scraps, Coffee Grounds

CARBON – BROWN – Dried leaves, dried plants, shredded paper, wood chips (also known as mulch)

MOISTURE – BLUE – Water, leftover juices from drinks, pickle juice, jams, jelly, any liquid containing sugar

 OXYGEN – WHITE – Air/circulation

HOW DOES IT BECOME COMPOST?

Mix the above 4 ingredients and let nature take over.    All around us are small animals called MICROBES.  Like any animal, they like to eat.  Feed them and they multiply.  Their food is the materials we mixed together (green, brown) with the water.  The air/oxygen allows them to live. 

HOW SHOULD A COMPOST PILE LOOK?

Compost bins/piles can be as simple as a pile on the ground or as elaborate and a hand or machine cranked barrel.  MASS is more important in composting than its container. The deeper and wider the pile, the faster it will compost.  Good dimensions are 3’ deep and 3-4’ in diameter.  Piles can be square, rectangular, or round. 

Round Compost Bin The outside edge (as much as 12” can dry out fairly quickly so I prefer the round style—acts like an insulator.  The interior stays moist and heats up with microbial activity.  When the pile is turned, the dry outer material is stirred into the moist interior and helps to aerate the pile. Depending on your available space, it is nice to have more than one container so you can move the compost when turning it.  Three containers allow you to have compost at different stages of maturation; new, in-process, finished. 

WHAT IS COMPOST GOOD FOR?

1)             Feeding plants and soil animals (worms, insects, microbes)

2)            Rebuilding the soil by improving its friability  and fertility

3)            Improving the ability of the soil to absorb moisture, avoiding excess runoff and erosion

4)            Keeping organic materials out of our landfills

What we had to get from outside sources when we first began our garden, we are now able to produce in our COMPOST area.  Not only do we feed our many garden areas, but are also able to furnish our fellow gardeners with food for their gardens.

Cindy

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